


The Life and Times of Molly

by thepetulantpen



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Already posted on my tumblr, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fix-It, Ill update tags as i go, Modern AU, Mollymauk Lives Fest, Multi, Pirate AU, but here I won’t have to deal with paragraph limits so yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-07 09:30:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15905565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepetulantpen/pseuds/thepetulantpen
Summary: All my contributions for Mollymauk Lives Fest! Mainly just short drabbles. Updated when they’re done and edited when I feel like it.1. Tattoos and Healing2. Roommate Caduceus3. Flowers and Fun With Magic4. Moonweaver Modern AU5. Fortune Telling and Comfort6. Pirate AU and Dancing7. Found Family/Domestic





	1. Tattoos and Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Yasha hang out in the spa, before the Mighty Nein.

“Tattoos look good, Molly.”

Molly’s toothy grin is brighter than the dim lighting in the spa. He does a dramatic twirl to show off the ink spread across his bare back. 

“Thanks, Yash. You like the flowers?”

“They turned out good. That tortle guy really knew what he was doing.”

Molly settles next to her on the step, whole body relaxing in the hot water. His eyes, unnerving to those who don’t know him well, suddenly meet Yasha’s with a serious, earnest stare, rare for him and rarer for the relaxed atmosphere of the spa. 

“I’ll get you more real ones, some day.” 

Yasha smiles, soft in this private place, amongst friends. Or friend. 

“We’ve got plenty of traveling and adventuring ahead of us, I’m sure.”

“In Trostenwald? Nothing exciting, surely.”

“You’ll be surprised. There’ll be alcohol, at least.” 

Molly grins, even fuller than last time. Yasha isn’t sure where he gets enough teeth to do that. 

“If you say so, Yasha.”

They spend the rest of their free time lounging in the hot water, healing muscles sore from travel and work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was very short but it was the first day and I was a busy with school. Still, Molly and Yasha friendship is my favorite.
> 
> I’m still figuring out ao3 so bear with me while I try to make chapters work.


	2. Roommate Caduceus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caduceus is Molly’s temporary roommate.

“You can never replace me, y’know.”

Caleb blinks, affronted by the implied accusation. 

“Of course not, friend. He may have similarly... colorful aesthetics but they are different from yours.”

Molly grins, a wide, toothy thing, bright like a beacon in a dark place. 

“Just making sure,” he pauses and his smile grows impossibly wider as he continues, “I like him. The hair, the voice, the tea, the philosophies. Delightful.” 

“Well, if I may judge from these few minutes I’ve known you, I’d say I like you too, Mollymauk. The coat, the jewelry, the tattoos, the general sense of liveliness. Quite lovely indeed.” 

Molly puts an arm around Clay’s shoulder, a feat that requires him to jump a little in order to reach up and around his firbolg form but he manages it nonetheless. What’s experience traveling with the circus good for if not a little friendly acrobatics on to new companions? 

“Oh we’re going to get along very well.”

Clay breaks into a smile as well, a gentler beast than Molly’s manic grin, though still slightly strange in ways Caleb cannot identify. 

Seeing the two of them now, a lavender tiefling dressed in a rainbow draped over a gothic firbolg with a pink mohawk, the Mighty Nein collectively realize what they are in for. 

Gods help them. 

...

“You’re hiding from something.”

Molly’s pupil-less gaze meets Caduceus’ soul-searching eyes, inscrutable features breaking up their otherwise open and vibrant faces. 

Fjord is gone on a solo trip to the coast so Molly is left with Caduceus as his new roommate, replacing the threat of seawater dreams and arcane questions he can’t answer with the consistent sounds of beetles and lingering scents of strange teas. 

And ominous statements. 

It doesn’t bother Molly, per se, it’s just another thing about Caduceus that Molly finds... fascinating. 

“Aren’t we all?”

“I usually prefer to face my problems head on. It’s healthier.”

“And what problems are you facing now, Mr. Clay?”

Caduceus gets a far off look on his face and Molly knows he can leave him like that for a few minutes while he fidgets with his tarot cards. The Tower, The Magician, The Hanged Man. And again and again, practicing flourishes and coming up with the stories different variations could tell. All while Caduceus sits and thinks to himself. 

Caduceus is quiet, a good counterbalance to Molly’s loudness. Makes him miss Yasha, the quiet person he likes most of all. Different quiet, but quiet all the same. 

Caduceus’ quiet is the subtle sounds of nature that you only notice when interrupted, crickets and gentle rustles suddenly halted for a much louder noise or nothing at all, an unnatural amount of nothing. Yasha’s quiet is that of the time between storms, never knowing if it’s going to pass over you or skip you completely, only ever dropping a few raindrops or, if you’ve been bad, hitting you with the full brunt of its power, hail and lightning and the drowned remains of a field. 

Such imposing presences, the both of them, and yet they barely leave a trace most days.

“I don’t think I’m facing all that many problems, currently. But I think you have a few you could be facing.” 

Molly tries to contain a smile at the novelty of picking up a conversation from where it left off 15 minutes ago.

“And what problems do you think I should face, Mr. Clay?”

“Your past, Mr. Mollymauk. It should be dealt with, don’t you think?”

Molly puts down his cards. 

“Here I thought I was supposed to be the psychic here. Before you tell me more about myself, oh Wise One, we should have tea.” 

Caduceus gets up to make tea, as he always does at any mention of tea or even if someone seems to be thirsty. Any excuse to have tea, really. And why wouldn’t he, he’s so good at it. 

“Is this- with the cards- is that something you do?”

“Do you want to know your fortune?”

“No, no I’ve already got something in mind, but thank you.”

They sit down with the tea and Caduceus stares at Molly, stares like he’s trying to fit the last bits of a puzzle together or he’s examining a particularly abstract art piece or he just can’t figure out if this plant is the toxic one or the sweet one. 

Molly breaks into a huge grin like he’s on a stage and he’s just landed an incredible jump or he’s managed to take down a monster with just his words or Yasha just sold tickets to a group of strangers with only some assistance. 

“I think you should go after him.”

“Who?”

“Yourself.”

“That’s not me, I don’t know the person who- how do you know this?”

“Well, then maybe you should meet them. It’s always nice to meet new people.”

“Are we talking about the same thing?”

Caduceus leans in. 

“Yes. Would you like some more tea?”

Molly drinks dead person tea and looks at Caduceus. He looks at his vibrant hair and thinks about what a fun color it is. He looks at his armor and thinks about how pretty it is and how he respects him for choosing a consistent aesthetic. He looks at his hands, a gardener’s hands, formed around the shape of a shovel, and wonders if sewing is among his well of talents, if he’d like to help make tapestry into a new coat. 

He looks in his eyes and thinks about how they look through everyone and everything, wonders if he’d help him look past the walls he can’t see behind. 

His tea really is delicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually combined this with another work I did a while back, but it was only posted on my tumblr so if you’re not on there this is all new!
> 
> I think this one turned out pretty good, both Mol and Cad are such interesting characters, you can’t really go wrong.


	3. Flowers and Fun With Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowers for Fjord, fun with the Blink spell

Fjord blinks, feels something in his hair and hears the cackle of a familiar tiefling. 

“Molly.”

Another giggle and something brushes against his hair, again. 

“Molly, what is in my hair?”

He sees Molly now, on the ground ten feet from him, laughing his ass off. 

“Do I even want to know?”

There’s a flash of gold and silver in his left peripheral, Fjord is turning to catch a glimpse of Molly with Summer Dance in hands and that huge tapestry on his back, trailing behind him like a snaking river of silver. He winks at Fjord, disappears and something touches his hair again. 

“What-“

Another flash, on his right this time, and he spins around, dislodging something from his hair that flutters past his face but now he’s got his eyes on-

“Jester!”

Bursts of purple and blue, twin tiefling snickers and that damn dog barking. It’s a game of musical tieflings spinning around Fjord and he still doesn’t know what they’ve put on his head. 

“You look very handsome, Oskar!”

He reaches up, finally, to find-

Flower petals. 

Attached to many, many flowers. 

“We made you a flower crown, Jester thought you’d missed out in hupperdook. And I told you I’d get you back for your magic shenanigans.” 

Molly smiles like nobody Fjord has ever seen, showing all his teeth, shiny, crooked and fanged. Jester is the same, a smile setting her face into its naturally cheerful default. Their faces invite Fjord to smile too, but he doesn’t allow anything more than a closed mouth grin. Not yet. Soon. But not yet. 

The dog, one of Jester’s many ill-advised purchases, is there too, of course. But that thing is always happy. It’s also managed to poof onto his shoulder. And lick his face. Now there’s flowers and blink dog spit in his hair. 

Molly steps up and adjusts Fjord’s crown, smiling, happy for life, happy for little moments like using magic to mess with your friends and make them flower crowns. 

Fjord smiles then, showing some of his white teeth, handsome like the rest of him. Jester claps. Molly just returns the smile with an even wider one. 

“Very nice, Mr. Fjord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another very short one but I liked the idea of it. It’s the Summer Dance content Molly deserves. Plus, I think Fjord and Molly’s friendship should be explored more. 
> 
> Also disclaimer I don’t know how the Blink spell actually works so if I wrote it wrong it’s because I didn’t have the attention span to research it.


	4. Moonweaver Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matchmaking with the Moonweaver, Sehanine!

“Molly?”

“Yes?”

“Could I braid your hair?”

“You can certainly try, but I’m not sure it’s long enough.”

“I’ll manage.”

Sehanine winks and takes handfuls of Molly’s chin length hair to attempt a braid. She ends up with multiple intricate braids, weaving strands of hair together into a beautiful design on his head and around his horns. 

“It’ll be even better when you grow it out more.”

“I know! I can’t wait till it’s really long- I’ll be able to do so much more with it.” 

They fill the space between brushes and hair ties with idle chatter, about school, about tv shows, about memes, about drama and romance. 

“Your friend- your friend said what?”

“I know! And I thought I was clueless.” 

“It’s part of your charm. But that’s just- that’s whole new level. You know what this means.”

Molly looks up at her to greet her mischievous grin with one of his own. If anyone was nearby to witness those smirks, they’d flee immediately to escape the radius of chaos they’re about to sew. 

“I think your friends could use some help with romance.”

...

Jester takes very little convincing. In fact, she doesn’t even know the plan before she agrees. 

“Can the Traveller help too?”

“No, leave it Sehanine, she’s the best with this sort of thing, trust me.” 

“Ok, ok, ok!”

With triple the tiefling hands, it doesn’t take long at all to put together all the notes and the flowers and the many, many sweets. Fjord is in for a hell of a surprise tomorrow. 

Valentine’s Day is Sehanine’s domain. 

...

Fjord has been anticipating and dreading this day. Not because he’s a bitter single person. But because his friends are bitter single people. 

And because of Jester.

He knows something is up as soon as he sees Molly’s bed is empty. Him being unaccounted for is never a good thing. 

When he walks into a living room covered in multicolored paper hearts, on the floor, up all the walls and coating the ceiling, he is not surprised. He follows the trail of rose petals to the door in a daze, picking up a note that has Jester’s address and about 17 doodled hearts. He doesn’t even really react to the sticky notes with cheesy messages stuck all over his truck or the boxes of candy hearts stacked on its seats. 

The door to Jester’s apartment looks like a rose bush exploded, the welcome mat is practically made of petals at this point and the door is decked out in pink and red flowers. It’s not locked, of course, and more petals (where did they get all these?) lead Fjord to Beau and Jester’s bedroom. 

Jester is, to almost no one’s surprise, at the end of the rose petal trail, laying in the center of a heart of roses, eating chocolate. She sits up when she sees Fjord enter, putting on a look of barely concealed joy and mock surprise. 

“Oooh, didn’t expect to see you here Oskar. Having a good Valentines Day?”

“Jester-how, how did you do all this? I don’t- I didn’t think there was even enough flowers in the country to pull this off.” 

“I had a little help from- Oh! The most important part. Take this.”

A giant bouquet of flowers is pushed into Fjord’s hands, of all colors and shapes, arranged deliberately in a perfect heart shape. He’s sure the colors and flowers mean something, but he’s never been very good with that stuff and at the moment he’s more concerned with the card on top. 

Jester looks on nervously as he reads her heartfelt letter, very long with many odd tangents, clearly Jester’s work, and shares a smile with him when a Macaroni Grill gift card falls out of the envelope. After the chaos of Valentine’s Day they’ll go out to enjoy a nice, classy, but not formal, evening of food, first date chatter and, hopefully, romance. 

All while Molly smiles to himself from behind Jester’s sofa. 

...

On a different day, after a very different type of night, Sehanine becomes aware of a lover in need. 

When Keg steps out onto the moonlit steps of Beau’s apartment building, she finds herself blanketed in shadows and her armor’s clanking mysteriously dulled to silence. Sehanine and Mollymauk orchestrate from the shadows, pulling at strands of light and dark, manipulating the wisps of moonlight to cover Keg’s escape. 

If she sees the glint of Molly’s teeth and glowing red eyes in the bushes or the shiny white hair and glossy blue skin of Sehanine, she doesn’t react, quiet and thankful for a discreet exit.

...

“Two of cups! Looks like love is in your future, Yasha!”

“Who paid you to do this?”

“I cannot disclose my client’s personal information.”

Yasha scoffs but smiles, Molly knows she’s secretly thrilled to have Beau’s attention, enough that she was willing to work with Molly, of all people. When Yasha looks up at Molly, finally meeting his eyes, she seems... shy. Molly has seen Yasha many things but he’s never seen her timid. It’s terrifyingly adorable. 

“Do you know where she is?”

“Beau? I think she’s waiting downstairs, trying to look casual in the lobby.” 

Beau is in fact trying to look casual in the lobby, but she’s actually managed it pretty well, between her own charms and the subtle strands of white light outlining her frame, blurring some of the more obvious signs of nervousness. After much stuttering and blushes, the two disasters find a quiet place, footsteps falling on the path the moon nudges them towards, hidden by trees and shadows to spend a lovely evening, just the two of them. 

“Hardly even needed my help for that one, eh?”

Molly is so proud of Yasha. He supposes he’ll have to tolerate Beau now. 

...

“Prom” is where Sehanine and Molly’s work really shines. “Prom”, or the dumb formal dance some of their peers put together to have a second chance at a fairy tale, as adults. Fat chance, but a nice sentiment. 

Fjord is trying to keep up with Jester’s far too energetic dancing, pushing back and forth and changing steps with vigor. Yasha and Beau are rotating awkwardly, their athletic skills not meant for delicate dances. Caduceus is letting Nott teach him how to dance, not knowing any better as she puts him through some absolutely ridiculous motions. Even Caleb looks mostly content, sipping punch and looking out at the rest of them. 

“You know, I learned a thing or two about ballroom dancing once. A long time ago.” 

“Did you? All my dancing skills are from clubbing. I’d be hopeless in a waltz.” 

“You’d probably be better than me. You tend to be very, uh, graceful. The circus in you, I think.”

“Well, we are the only ones not dancing. Maybe we can teach each other something?”

Caleb doesn’t respond for a few moments, staring out at the dance floor, remembering something. 

“...Ja, ok.”

Caleb really is a lovely waltzer, his rhythm is steady and precise, even with an inexperienced partner. Molly does not share his rhythm at all but he keeps up well enough, catching himself and correcting before he steps on any toes. It’s nice, formal and a respectful distance apart. Just how ballroom dancing should be. 

A giggle is all the warning he gets before he’s suddenly shoved into Caleb, pushed into his arms much closer than they were before. Caleb turns red but Molly just grins confidently, taking this new development in stride. He’ll be taking a hold of this dance now. 

They’re back to dancing again but they’re following Molly’s pace; fast, fluid and ever-changing, bodies packed close together as they are taken by a beat only Molly’s heart and, with time, Caleb’s soul hear. 

It’s chaos, it’s love, it’s “prom” for college kids. 

Sehanine, standing on the outskirts next to some guy wearing a hoodie, fondly regards the intricate web she’s weaved. 

When she leaves, she makes sure to thank the moon for her assistance. And ask her for a dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modern AUs are not really my thing so all the discrepancies in time period (like keg’s armor, etc) are cause I was too lazy to come up with a modern alternative. Likewise, I didn’t come up with any modern headcannons about age, background, etc. Oh and I kept D&D races the same as you can probably tell. 
> 
> As far as the Moonweaver goes, I made her a light blue tiefling, because I wanted to. The wiki says she’ll often help lovers get away with trysts, so I just ran with that. And it’s always fun to do a shippy chapter. 
> 
> I’m super busy with schoolwork and stuff so hopefully I’ll still be able to keep up with the Fest! Stay tuned!


	5. Fortune Telling and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly is back with a simple tarot reading to help his friends.

Molly stumbles into the dark cell, falling clumsily onto his knees next to Yasha. He pulls at her chains uselessly until Nott comes by and helps him unlock them. The shackles fall off and Molly leans Yasha’s considerably larger body against his own. He looks lost, still in a sort of dazed panic from the last few days, and unsure how to help his best friend. 

“We should get them out of here.”

Caleb, covered in dried blood, looks at their unconscious friends with concern and leftover shock from the successful battle. Caduceus helps Molly stand on wobbly legs, a firm, steady presence to keep him up after his brief, but exhausting, death. 

Caduceus tells him he must rest, after the battle and the resurrection, but he insists on staying by his friends as they sleep, determined to be awake for them when they rise. He falls asleep anyway in just a few minutes, he’s much too weak for such a feat, but it’s the thought that counts. 

“Molly?” 

Yasha’s voice is groggy and rough from sleep and other mistreatment. Molly’s voice isn’t much better. 

“Yasha!”

They hug, arms weakened by their ordeals but the warmth and love reaches them nonetheless. 

“I- I’d had a terrible vision of you... I thought you might be dead.”

Best not to tell her about the resurrection yet. 

“Heh, well maybe you should leave the fortune telling to experts, like me.”

Jester, lounging quietly in the background, suddenly perks up. 

“Can you read our fortune? For the group? Even if it’s bullshit?”

“Of course, Jester.”

His tarot cards are familiar and beautiful in hands, borrowed once but now his, like many things in his life. Cards fly from hand to hand in the showiest flourishes he knows, arching and flipping, their embellishments glittering even in the low light of the room. Yasha watches, recognizing the impressive, distracting tricks he uses for particularly miserable customers. But it’s all for show, entertainment, he doesn’t dare rig the result or slip any cards up his sleeve, fearful of Beau’s hawk eyed glare. 

He pulls a card. 

Death. 

Jester’s face falls immediately, tears springing forward unbidden. Fjord looks away and shakes his head, a small blow after everything they’ve been through but still salt in the wound. There’s similar looks around the room, all slight horror and sadness except for Caduceus who retains his mildly bemused expression. 

“Wait! That’s not- it doesn’t always mean literal death. Every card has a good side.” 

“Yeah? What’s the good side of death?” Beau, sarcastic and angry as ever, has turned her accusing stare towards the cards, as if they are responsible for their suffering. 

“Well, death drives the cycle of life. You can’t have healthy life without death, you’d just have things rotting everywhere.” Caduceus’ words seem almost practiced, his response probably one of many he’s given to mourning families. 

“The death card is a card for endings. And transitions. Not just life to death but other things too. My arcane powers,” he closes his eyes and presses his fingers to his temples, demonstrating, “are telling me what this card really means for us. Do you want to know what they say?”

He leans in towards Jester like he’s sharing a secret only she’s privy to. She wipes her tears and leans in too, curiosity overtaking sadness. Molly is suddenly hit with memories of Toya, of silly and comforting conversations in hoarse voices or mischievously hushed tones. 

“This is the end of the Iron Shepards and their stain on the world. This is the end of us being powerless against our enemies. This is the beginning of the Mighty Nein becoming truly mighty and powerful. This is the beginning of a fight for good things.”

Molly takes a breath and smiles at his audience. 

“The death card is a reminder that life is short and we should go after our dreams.” 

Some faces around the room tense at the reminder, determination setting their tired features into a stiff shape. Others relax, freed and relieved by this notion. 

Jester is of the latter category. 

“Oh boy, you guys. Next town, I’m absolutely finding us a bakery. That’s my dream. Bagels.” 

“That’s what the Death card means for us? Life is short, eat a bagel? Seriously?” Beau’s face contorts into a reluctant smile, so begrudging it looks as if her facial muscles are actively fighting against each other. 

“Or do something to it, anyway. Besides, fortune telling is all bullshit, right?”

Beau meets Molly’s smirk with a snort and everything is as it should be. 

“You know what’s not bullshit? Sleep. We should sleep.” Fjord levels all of them with an expression tired enough to rival that of a single dad of seven. 

At his words, everyone seems to feel their exhaustion wash over them and they immediately set about the nighttime routine, Caleb goes to set his Alarm and summon the bubble, which Jester is treating as her own personal pillow fort. Nott tucks herself in next to Caleb and Frumpkin. Jester and Fjord cuddle, glad to not have any chains in the way. Molly snuggles up against Yasha for the night, never leaving her sight or her arms so she doesn’t have to be scared of her nightmares. 

“I’m here, Yasha.”

“Thank you, Molly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m kind of fond of this one, I think it turned out ok. I might add to it, one day, to explore more fortune telling but for now here’s this. 
> 
> Stay tuned for pirates! I’ll probably be late for that one (on tumblr anyway, it’s always late here) because I’ve been busy with schoolwork!


	6. Pirate AU and Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pirates! Dancing! Molly! The gang’s all here but they’re pirates now.

“Which way, Mollymauk?”

“That way for around a day, then I’ll see.”

Caleb watches, in horror, as the captain of the ship he’s now stuck on takes directions from a man with no compass or maps, just pointing his hand vaguely westward. He knew he shouldn’t have gotten on a damn pirate ship. 

A ship had seemed his best option for... avoiding certain unsavory people from his past. Out in the middle of the sea, surely no one would look for him there? 

Of course, Caleb didn’t intend to find a pirate ship but he wasn’t exactly wealthy enough to afford normal fares and smuggling Nott along with him on a more official ship may have had too many complications. When the navigator, the man he now knows as Mollymauk, approached with an offer to take him to sea in exchange for any skills or labor he could provide, well, he wasn’t in the position to say no to basically free passage, no questions asked. 

It was only once he got on board he realized he had joined a crew of pirates wandering the sea with no direction. Do they have any maps? 

“Not to be rude, friend, but do you know where we are going? Or, rather, how do you know where we are going?”

Mollymauk grins the wild smile of a pirate, a man who lives a life of danger on the seas, slashing and stealing, wielding twin scimitars and wearing a rainbow coat. 

“Wind. And instinct.”

Great. Sound logic from the pirate who more or less has their fate in his hands. 

“Now, now you shouldn’t worry so much, uh, Caleb, was it? Molly knows his way around these seas. How do you think he got his name?”

Fjord, the captain, seems trustworthy, as trustworthy as a pirate gets, or perhaps just very charming. Caleb is slowly learning the difference, after all these years. But his scars tell a story of a very different man than the forthright sailor he pretends to be and his eyes, there’s just something off about them, almost yellow and, when the light catches them in a certain way, inhuman. Between the eyes, the nasty falchion that is strange but not magical and the way their vessel sways and turns unnaturally with him at the helm, as though they’re being acted on by another being, Caleb is sure something is up with Fjord. 

“Ja, of course. A seabird always knows his way.”

“Good man!”

Mollymauk gives him a shark-like smile and a hearty pat on the back, so tactile and familiar in just a few days. 

At least Nott seems to be enjoying her time amongst fellow thieves. Or at least enjoying the shiny trinkets she finds everywhere, no doubt excess from treasures they’ve taken. If Yasha, the burly woman who seems to serve a large role in intense manual labor but now devotes her time to keeping an eye on the newcomers, notices any of Nott’s minor thefts, she doesn’t mention it. 

Beau, on the other hand, never stops asking him questions, about where he’s going, about his magic, about Nott. Caleb evades as best he can but it’s wearing on him to be interrogated by someone who looks like they could do him some serious damage, snap him in half with that staff of hers kind of damage. So much for his hope of forming an alliance with the only other human on board. 

The last of the crew is the doctors, or what passes as doctors for a pirate ship. He’s been told that Jester, the blue tiefling woman, is their first cleric and Caduceus, the strangely colored Firbolg man, is a newcomer like Caleb. He wouldn’t have guessed Jester was a healer, based on her grumpiness at the mere mention of healing anybody, which leaves Caduceus, and his questionable herbs, the responsibility of healing any minor injuries the crew gets while working on the ship. 

The motley crew work everyday with a unsteady balance, seeming to almost teeter over the edge to total collapse of operations and complete chaos at all times. There’s shouting and minor disasters and just generally rampant dysfunction all around Caleb. 

It’s going to be a very long trip. 

...

Fjord follows Molly’s instructions for the next few days, guiding the ship easily as Molly always picks courses with the best drafts. There’s birds riding the wind just above them, taking the same route towards land as they are. He sees a mollymauk, with its curved beak, intense eyes and huge wingspan, fly next to their sails for just a moment before moving on, faster on bones and feathers than their ship is on wood and cloth. 

“I hear they have airships across the sea.”

“Do they really?”

Molly’s eyes twinkle, always excited to learn new things. Fjord has found there’s many things he doesn’t know, it’s interesting being around for somebody’s first time eating strawberries or learning about candy stores. 

“Yeah. Wonder if it’s all that different from sailing.”

“It would be nice to fly. Maybe we’ll get you one of those airships next time we cross the sea?”

“I’m sure you could do it Fjord,” Jester interrupts with a grin on her face that can only mean there’s mischief going on that Fjord doesn’t want to know about, “Don’t you remember that time we had to steal a boat and bring it across the lake while that serpent was chasing us? Flying can’t be harder than that, right?”

“Thank you, Jester, I-“

Fjord makes a note to rescind his thank you when what sounds like a minor explosion rings out on the deck below them. Fjord deliberately looks away, gritting his teeth, but he hears Jester’s delighted giggle, Molly’s curious “hmm?”, the thud as Caleb and his book fall off a bench, Caduceus’ “oh no”, Beau’s cheers and Nott’s maniacal laughter. Yasha disappeared, again, during the last storm so he doesn’t have anybody on lookout/babysitting duty and he’s paying for it dearly. 

“Nott got those old guns working! Between that and Caleb’s magic, we won’t have to do all our work just by stabbing and lollipops.” 

Fjord almost corrects Jester, reminding her he’s been able to do significant ranged attacks for a long time, but he’s too busy processing the fact that he’s got a goblin with a gun on board his ship. Molly couldn’t care less about the possible risks, attention focused on a new fascination with the weapon.

“She’s quite the engineer, to make that rusty thing work.”

“I’m an alchemist, actually.” Nott’s raspy voice is prideful for the first time since Molly met her, unlike her previous tone exclusive to either distrust or aggression. 

“Alchemist, then. Say, how do guns work anyway?” 

Molly corrects himself as if he’d made a simple mistake in word usage, substituting a synonym instead of a totally different concept. All science-y words are pretty much the same to him. 

“Well, they- what do you want to know?”

“I just mean what do they do?”

“I mean... they shoot people? With bullets? Like arrows except small and round? You’ve really never heard of these before?” 

“I’ve heard of them. I just never understood what all the fuss was about. What do you think the poor bastard who invented those is doing right now?” 

“Well, I think their inventor is a very brilliant lady who’s enjoying her castle she bought with gun money.” 

“I think you’re half right.” 

“That is all well and good but could we please keep explosions to a minimum? Some of us are reading.”

“Sorry, Caleb!”

“Yes, sorry Mr. Caleb.”

...

In just a day over Mollymauk’s predicted time, the ship nears landfall. It’s an island Caleb has never seen nor heard of, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Although, to an Empire kid like Caleb, every island may as well be in the middle of nowhere. Even of the geography he has studied, he’s quickly discovered it all looks and feels very different in person. 

The islanders are fairly welcoming, considering they are random strangers on a rough looking ship. They helpfully lead them to a good inn, though it can hardly be called an inn, it’s just a few rooms for rent below a bar. They also inform them, at Nott’s request, where the best places for cheap booze are, so they have that base covered at least. 

They start with a pub crawl, which eventually devolves, as Caleb suspects is routine for this group, into dancing, which then becomes a full party in the center of town attended by a mix of pirates, drunk villagers and random street performers. 

Caleb watches Nott and Jester begin to choreograph a dance, watches Fjord awkwardly fend off drunk locals, watches Beau and Yasha (where did she come from?) breaking the tension and dancing together finally, watches Caduceus watching it all in confusion, watches Mollymauk taking the dance floor by storm with his one person show. 

The music supplied by the islanders is strange to Caleb, strong, aggressive drum beats at a pace he thinks would be difficult to dance to but Molly manages it easily. Each step and twirl makes his coat move wildly alongside him, making every movement twice as dramatic, exaggerating every flourish. He spins and his coat catches the wind so it billows out around him in a great spill of rainbow colors, it looks like the wind in the sails of their ship or the wind under a large bird’s feathery wingspan or like the wind in a ridiculous coat on a ridiculous pirate on a ridiculous island in the middle of a ridiculous night of dancing, but regardless of what metaphors he uses it is beautiful. 

Before he knows what’s happening, Caleb is being pulled onto the improvised dance floor, swept up in the many colors of Mollymauk. Caleb only knows the patterns and steps of the formal dances he attended at the academy but Mollymauk pulls him along through steps that can’t possibly be planned. He somehow knows his way, even here, even when he doesn’t know, or doesn’t remember, how to play simple card games, he somehow knows how to dance and he moves like he’s got the wind and the physics of the world wrapped around his finger. Caleb’s coat sways with him as he dances with Mollymauk, something once bulky and heavy and dirty that’s now a part of his dance, wind ruffling its fur and the material, though stiffer than that of Molly’s coat, adding an extra layer to his steps, another moving piece in this crazy equation. 

They spin and dance creating their own warmth and light during a windy night, separating and bowing only when the dancing winds down naturally, drums fading and exhaustion taking each of them. 

Molly helps them find their way back to the inn, of course. They sit and have a few more uneventful drinks, until they’ve all passed out on tables or are sitting like zombies at the bar. Caduceus retired early to have tea with Jester, their lack of taste for alcohol being amongst one of the many mysteries of this crew. Caleb sits with Mollymauk at the bar. 

“Who are you, really?”

Mollymauk smiles like he’s been waiting for that question. His face releases any forced expressions he wears, peeking back layers until Mollymauk is nothing but a tired and drunk but very happy man. His features settle in a way that suggest honesty to Caleb, though he’s admittedly not the very best judge of character, which is surprising as they’ve known each other for so little time. 

It is also not surprising at all after their night, after their dance, after Caleb feels he’s given a piece of his soul away and received a colorful piece of someone else’s soul to fill the gap. 

“This,” Molly gestures to himself, “is an old sailor. His body sank, his soul flew away, and I, the Mollymauk, took his place.” 

Molly kicks back the rest of his drink. 

“I’m happy to drift through these seas for the rest of my days, seeing as much as this world has to offer, doing as many things as I can before this all, inevitably, comes to an end. What about you, Caleb? Do you have things you need to be going after? Never mind, don’t answer that. It’s your business, I just want you to know the cards say you should probably get on it.” 

Caleb goes to bed and he has dreams of mollymauks and fires but most of all, of dancing and perhaps drifting away from it all, just walking away with new friends and family. 

Mollymauk dreams of the sea and the sky but most of all, of dancing and perhaps planting roots with a family. If there’s any darkness and old, cold memories plaguing his dreams, he doesn’t remember them by the time he wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a lot of inspiration from the Mollymauk sea shanty which I recommend you read/listen to to further enjoy this fanfic. 
> 
> Pirates are so much fun to write! I thoroughly enjoyed doing a pirate AU definitely a super fun piece. And dancing! Everybody likes writing weird abstract descriptions of dancing.


	7. Found Family/Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gustav, pets and a cuddle pile.

Molly and the Mighty Nein all in their share of gold to free Gustav, but Nott is really the one that pulls through to help him. Molly makes a note to thank her and buy her something nice later, when he has money again. A new set of buttons or some swimwear for their trip to the coast, perhaps. 

Gustav is a good man, didn’t deserve to be locked up. Any man willing to take in a nonverbal amnesiac on the side of a road and willing to take the unjust fall for his group of circus performers is a good man is Molly’s book, despite any ulterior motives Caduceus may suggest. 

Molly welcomes Gustav’s embrace, familiar from the hard times they faced on the road. Gustav has done so much for him and Molly is happy to repay at least a portion of his debt. They chat quietly, catching up while the colorful characters of the Mighty Nein make a ruckus in the background. 

“You guys should probably head out, before you’re arrested again. Where did you say you were headed? What’s the next stop on this adventure of yours?”

“We’re headed down to do some business in the Menagerie Coast, actually. Oh, isn’t that where the others said they’d be going? Maybe we’ll get to meet up with the old gang.”

“Yeah, maybe. Tell them I said hey, if you do find them.”

“Will do.” He doesn’t ask Gustav’s plans. He probably wouldn’t answer, anyway.

“What about Yasha? Is she off right now?”

“Yeah, you know how it is. Wish she could’ve been here to see you but I’m sure she’s got her own thing going on. I’ll catch her up the next time she’s around.” 

“I appreciate it. Say,” Gustav pauses and glances at the group to ensure they’re distracted with Beau’s fireworks, “how’s this whole adventuring group thing treating you? You seem close but, you know, looks can be deceiving.” 

Molly’s smile, usually bright and exaggerated, fades into a more mellow, content expression, as if thinking fondly on old memories. Gustav has never seen him like that before, as he doesn’t typically have many memories to look fondly upon, but he supposes a lot must’ve happened with this group. 

“It’s good. We’re doing good, doing stupid shit, becoming a family, slowly. You know how it is, being on the road together for so long.”

Gustav looks at Molly and his mind supplies the images of Toya, Bo, the Knot Sisters, Ornna, Desmond and the rest of the circus, long gone, standing all around him. 

“Yeah. I know.”

...

“Molly, what are you going to do with that thing?”

“Be an even bigger asshole than Beau with that owl.”

Molly is sitting on the cart next to a huge peacock looking incredibly pleased with himself while Beau sits across from him trying to look tough while an owl digs its talons into her arm. Jester is attempting to control both an excitable puppy and a weasel at the same time, with little success despite her enthusiasm. Caleb strokes Frumpkin who sits totally docile and calm in his lap, seemingly mocking the rest of the idiot pets they’ve just purchased. 

The peacock is just how Molly expected it to be- mean, loud and incredibly ostentatious. It gets to the point that Caleb has to Silence it so it’s shrill calls stop scaring the horses. 

But Molly’s purchase is only as much of a nightmare as everyone else’s. He sits back and watches chaos unfold as Jester repeatedly almost loses her dog and her weasel, always finding them but causing a momentary panic as the weasel disappears into their supplies or the puppy disappears into the ether. Beau has a few false alarms with her owl almost taking out Jester’s weasel, only barely keeping control of it with her bag of mice. 

It’s a goddamn nightmare and it’s exactly what Molly expects of this group. Exactly how he hopes it always is, a group of misfits acting like idiots in a cart and occasionally doing the right thing on the way to doing jobs for an underground network of criminals. Or, at least, just acting like idiots. 

“Hey, Duce. Do you think KFC likes me?”

Caduceus looks over at the bird.

“Hey. How do you feel about this guy?”

The peacock makes direct eye contact with Caduceus, lets out a shriek-like call and goes back to looking grumpy on the crowded cart. 

“He likes you.” 

“Yes! Beau, did you hear that? I’m more charming than you.”

Beau huffs, looking frustratedly at her owl scarfing down mice and pointedly ignoring her. 

“You know what they say. Birds of a feather.”

“Then you should no problem with the owl.”

Molly grins and Beau returns the smile, after punching him in the arm. 

“You don’t need to be healed from that, do you? You’re pretty squishy.”

“Jester, you wound me. Do you know that? I am hurt from your words, truly disappointed that you would say such things to your dear friends.”

Jester giggles and Fjord shakes his head from his spot steering the cart. Caleb is actually smiling at the exchange, even when Nott gives him a big smile with “I told you so” basically written across her forehead. Caduceus isn’t paying attention but looks happy with his company anyway. 

The only thing that could make this better is-

“Yasha!”

“Hey guys.”

“Yasha, look what I bought.”

“Oh wow, uh, why?”

Molly grins and Yasha lets her little awkward smile loose, waving nervously at the animals and Beau. 

“It’s good to have you here.”

...

They’ve pushed it quite a bit on the road today so Caleb summons the bubble to allow them all to sleep easier. They end up in a pile of bodies, edging away from the increasingly cranky peacock and owl. 

Molly ends up, intentionally or not, in the very center of the pile, smothered on all sides by The Mighty Nein, his friends, his family. 

Jester is very warm like him, hellfire running through their veins, and she’s soft too, soft like her words and her smiles and her pastries, he easily dodges a horn in the eye, knowing the struggle all too well. 

Fjord, unsurprisingly, smells like the sea, and his hands are rough from years of labor but the rest of him is like a firm and supportive mattress, no sign at all of a giant eye in his stomach. 

Beau’s lithe body drapes over and wraps around them, similar to one of those travel neck pillows that haven’t been invented yet but with the flair of a drunk frat boy passed out on his friends. 

Yasha sleeps like she’s on her way to the grave, arms crossed and legs straight, but Molly knows her well from exhausted nights in crowded caravans and she puts an arm over him, heavy and solid but reassuring. 

Nott is somewhere by his side but he can’t really tell the difference between her weight and the weight of the cat or dog, their eerily similar glowing yellow eyes not helping matters, but he appreciates her being there, wherever she is. 

Caleb lies on the very edge of the group, clearly not wanting to be immersed in the cuddle pile, but he sends Frumpkin shifting between all of them, offering cuddles and soothing purrs. 

Caduceus is very soft and very warm, a premium cuddle companion that everyone would normally be fighting over but luckily there’s plenty of him to go around so they all end up grasping random parts of Caduceus, enjoying his fuzz and smells of tea. 

When Nugget stops poofing around to lick random people’s faces and the weasel finally settles itself on top of Jester, rather than snaking around the rest of them, everyone finally lulls into a content sleep. 

Molly is so happy to be a part of The Mighty Nein.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to actually google “how to keep a peacock for a pet” and determined it is impossible. But Molly deserves that peacock, ok? 
> 
> This’ll be the last installment in this series, I skipped two days but I did seven which is a lot more than I expected! I think I ended on a strong note, I really like this one. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!!


End file.
